Planter



3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

Patented Aug. 12,- 1890.

"PLANTBRl J. .1). SGHOPIELD.

(No Model.)

(No Model.)

3 sheets -sheet 2. J. D. SGHOFIELD.

PLANTER.

No. 434,051. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

J. D. SOHOFIELD. PLANTER.

No. 434,051. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

YHE NORPHS PETERS C0-. FNUTC-LIYHKL. WASMWGTON I D C u I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DROMMOND SCHOFIELD, OF ROGERS, TEXAS, ASSIGNORTO THE FRE- MONT OULTIVATOR COMPANY, OF BELLEVUE, OHIO.

PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,051, dated August 12, 1890. Application filed October 14, 1889. Serial No. 327,006. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: tached pivotally to the side pieces, as 7, and Be it known that I, JAMES DROMMOND connected by means of adj usting-braces 8 SCHOFIELD, a citizen of the United States, rewith the standards 3.

siding at Rogers, in the county of Bell and 9 designates the seed box or hopper, which State of Texas, have invented a new and useis suitably mounted upon the frame, and the ful Planter, of which the followingisaspecibottom of which has a circular opening 10,

fication. under which is secured a circular plate 11,

Thisin vention relates to combined corn and having arms or flanges 12 on diametricallycotton planters; and it has for its object to oppositesides, by means of which it is bolted [0 provide a machine of this class which shall or otherwise secured to the under side of the be simple, durable, and inexpensive, which hopper. The plate 11 is provided at its edge may be readily converted from a corn into a with an opening or recess 13, through which. cotton planter, and vice versa, which may be the seed may drop into the seeds'pout 14, easily and effectively adjusted so as to plant which is arranged underneath and will be 15 the corn in hills at any desired distance apart, presently more fully described. The circular and which shall be in every respect convenplate 11 has a centrally-located upwardly-exient and efficient. tending stud 15, upon which is journaled the With these ends in view the invention conseed plate or disk 16, which consists of a cirsists in the improved construction, arrangecular disk provided witha circumferentially- 2o ment, and combination of parts, which will be arranged series of openings or seed-cups 17 7o hereinafter fully described, and particularly and an equal number of radially-extending pointed out in the claims. sprockets 18. The seed-cups or openings 17 In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 are so arranged as to register withthe openis a perspective view of my improved seedings13 in the disk 11, so that as the seed-cups 25 planter. Fig. 2 is a top view of the seed box pass over the said openings the seed will drop or hopper. Fig. 3 isavertical sectional view from the said cups and through the said of the same. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the openings into the seed-spout. hopper and dropping mechanism. Figure 5 Upon the upper side of the hopper-bottom is a perspective detail view of the corn-plantis secured a cut-off, which consists of a seg- 30 ing mechanism. Fig. 6 is a perspective demental plate 19, provided with a downward- 8o tail view of the cotton-planting mechanism. ly-extending flange 20 at its inner edge, which Fig. 7 isa perspective detailview of the shield serves to brush the superfluous seeds from for the drivegearing of the planter. Fig. Sis the seed-cups as they pass successively under a perspective detail View of the gage-plate the said cut-off. The latter is provided with 3 5 for the seed-coverers. arms or brackets 21, by means of which it Like numerals of reference indicate like may be bolted to the bottom of the hopperin parts in all the figures. position for operation.

The frame of my improved seed-planter is The front side of thehopper is provided to be constructed entirely of steel, for the with a bearing for the rear end of the oper- 4o purpose of combining the greatest strength ating-shatt 22, upon which is mounted an and rigidity with lightness and convenience; operating-wheel consisting of a cast-iron hub and it consists, mainly, of two side bars 1 1, 23, having radial recesses 2i, into which arms curved downwardly at their front ends to or pins 25 may be inserted detacha'bly for form bearings for the transporting and drivthe purpose of engaging the sprockets 18 of 45 ing wheel 2, andcurved downwardly at their the seed-Wheel 16, which said sprockets prorear ends so as to form standards 3, to which ject slightly beyond the lower edge of the the coverers 4 are attached. The side beams hopper, so as to be successively engaged by 1 1 are to be connected by means of suitable the arms 25 of the operating-wheel. It will be bars or braces, and handles 6, by means of seen that by varying the number of the said 50 which the machine may be guided, are atarms or thedistancesbetween them the seed- 10o wheel will be operated-with more or less fre quency,thereby regulating the distance be tween eachdropping. It will also be seen that the motion imparted to the seed-wheel is intermittent and jerky, thereby causing the seeds to be ejected forcibly and with absolute certainty from the seed-cups at each operation. The quantity of seed dropped at each operation may be regulated by the size of the seed cups or openings in the seed-disk. The bottom of the hopper 9 is provided adjacent to and in rear of the circular opening 10 with a transverse slot 26, which forms the seed-opening when the device is used as a cotton-planter. To regulate the size of the said slot, a plate or slide 27 is attached pivotally to the bottom of the hopper near the rear end of the latter and adapted to swing over the slot 26, so as to regulate the size of or completely close the latter, as may be desired. One end of the slide 27 has a rearwardly-extending arm 28 projecting through a'slot 28 in the rear side of the hopper and provided With a slot 29, through which extends a bolt 30, extending upwardly from a bracket 30, projecting from the hopper, and having a thumb-nut 31, by means of which the slide 27 may be secured in any position to which it may be adjusted. Mounted securely upon the shaft 22, directly above the slot 26, is a cast-iron hub 32, in which is de tachably secured a series of radially-extending fingers or agitators 33, the outer ends of which are bent, as shown at 34:, for the purpose offorcing the cotton-seed through the slot 26 when the device is to be used as a cotton-planter. The hub 32, as well as the hub 23, which has hereinbefore been described, is mounted upon the shaft 22 by means of a set-screw 64, so that it may be readily moved into or out of operative position, as may be required.

A V-shaped standard 35, the upper ends of which are secured to the side beams of the frame, extends in a forward and downward direction from under the hopper, and is connected with the standards 3 by means of braces 5. A furrow-opener 37 is secured to the lower end of the standard 35, and the seed-spout 14 is suitably secured to the arms of the saidV-shaped standard.

The driving and transporting wheel 2 is mounted upon an axle 38, which has its bearings at the front end of the side beams of the frame, and said transporting-wheel is provided With a bevel-gear 39, meshing with a pinion 40 upon the front end of the shaft 22, which is journaled in suitable brackets or bearings upon the frame of the machine and upon the outer side of the seed box or hopper. The motion thus imparted to the seeding mechanism is positive and far more satisfactory than that communicated by belts which are usually employed in this class of machines, and which are liable to slip, or chains which are alwaysliable to get clogged and out of order. The front ends of the side beams of the frame are provided with arms or brackets 44, to which shields 45 are bolted or otherwise secured. These shields entirely inclose the operating-gears and prevent the said gears from being clogged, and thus insuring a steady and perfect operation of the machine.

To the heel ends of the standards 3, carrying the covering-plows 4, are secured the vertically-adjustable gage-plates 46, which serve to regulate the depth to which the coveringplows shall be permitted to enter the soil, thereby causing the seed to be covered to precisely the same depth.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with t-hedrawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of my improved seed-planter may be readily understood. The general construction is exceedingly simple and durable, and the machine may be made much lighter than those which have heretofore been constructed. The machine may be converted from a corn into a cotton planter, or vice versa, and for either purpose it will be found to be exceedingly efficient. When used as a corn-planter, the distance between the hills may be conveniently regulated, and absolute certainty is secured in the planting of the seed whether the device be used as a corn or as a cotton planter.

I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction herein described, but reserve the right to such changes and modifications as may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a seed-planter, the combination, with the hopper, the bottom of which is provided supporting said seed-disk, and a fianged'cut-v off secured in the bottom of the hopper, the flange of said cut-off occupying the thickness of said bottom and bearing against the upper side of the seed-disk, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the hopper, the bottom of which has a circular opening, the circular seed-disk arranged under said opening and having a circumferential series of seedcups and a corresponding number of radiallyextending sprockets, a supporting plate, a cut-off, and an operating-wheel mounted upon a longitudinal inclined shaft, receiving motion from the drive-wheel at the front end of the planter-frame and having a series of radial pins or arms adapted to engage the sprockets of the seed-disk, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described cut-off, consisting of a segmental plate having outwardly-extending arms, by means of which it may be secured to the bottom of the hopper and provided at its inner edge with a downwardlyextending flange adapted to bear against the face of the seed-Wheel, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the hopper, the bottom of Which has a circular opening, the supporting-plate secured un der the same and having an upwardly-extending lug, the seed-disk journaled upon said lug and havingacircumferential series of seed-cups and a corresponding number of radial sprockets extending beyond the side of the hopper, a shaft journaled longitudinally in the latter, and an operating. wheel mounted upon the said shaft and having a series of radial arms adapted to engage the sprockets of the seed-wheel, substantially as set forth.

, 5. The combinatiomwith the seed-wheel having the radially-extending sprockets, of the operating-wheel having radially-extending arms and mounted adjustably upon a shaft journaled longitudinally in the hopper, so as to be capable of being thrown into and out of engagement with the said seed-Wheel, substantially as set forth. 1

6. The combination,with the planter-frame consisting, mainly, of the metallic side beams, of the hopper suitably mounted upon the same, the V-shaped standard carrying the f urrow-opener, and the seed-spout secured to the said V-shaped standard, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a seed-planter, the combination of the supporting-frame, the drive-Wheel at the front end of the frame, the hopper, the inclined drive-shaft having its rear end journaled in the front Wall of the hopper and provided at its front end With a pinion meshing with a bevel-gear upon the drive-Wheel, and the seed-dropping mechanism actuated by said shaft, substantially as set forth.

8. In a seed-planter, the combination of the frame, the driveheel at the front end of the frame, the hopper, the inclined shaft having its rear end journaled in the front Wall of the hopper and provided at its front end with a pinion meshing with a bevel-gear upon the drive-Wheel, ahub having radiating L-shaped arms mounted upon the rear end of said shaft Within the hopper, and a hub mounted adjustably upon said shaft in front of the hopper and having radial arms adapted to actuate the seed-dropping mechanism, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES DROMMOND SCIIOFIELD.

' NVitnesses:

J. S. PUNCHARD, W. S. Hones. 

